Best movies like School for Good and Evil to watch next

The School for Good and EvilIt quietly took the Netflix Top 10 spot in October. And while reviews are all over the place, director Paul Feig’s take on the much-loved fantasy series seems to be hitting with the intended audience — mainly, anyone in need of a Harry Potter alternative as the Fantastic Beasts movies try to figure themselves out. C’est la vie.

Starring Charlize Thon, Laurence Fishburne and Michelle Yeoh as well as Kerry Washington and some up-and-coming stars. The School for Good and EvilThe magic middle ground between evil and good is achieved. It’s not too dark, not too sugarcoated, and it has a wizardly school where witchery is commonplace. But where can fans of the film fall under the same spell that isn’t just Harry Potter 1-8?

If you’re looking for more fantasy movies with a twist, YA-adjacent blockbuster fun, or just some lower-key wizarding, here are movies like The School for Good and Evil that fit the bill, suggested by Polygon’s movie recommendation team.

Ella Enchanted

Image by Miramax Films

The 2004 Anne Hathaway-led adaptation of the children’s classic tells the story of Ella, who is cursed at birth to follow any order another has given her, and who journeys to find the fairy godmother who might revert the spell. Ella Enchanted The fairy godmother trope is transformed into something sinister and goofy. Magic and magic abound in the world, including talking books and elves, as well as witches and elves. The movie is full of action, adventure and romance. It also features multiple dancing numbers, wicked stepsisters, and even a Heidi Klum appearance. Most importantly, it’s a coming-of-age story about a young woman learning to live for herself. —Nicole Clark

Ella EnchantedIt is currently available for rent Amazon, Apple, Google PlayAnd Vudu.

Halloweentown

Image: Walt Disney Television

This 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie is a great example of Disney Channel Original Movies. A young girl learns that her family descends from witches. They are then transported to Halloweentown where they meet supernatural creatures from all walks of the universe. There are ghosts and ghouls, witches and warlocks, goblins and werewolves, a wisecracking skeleton that drives a taxi cab, a giant jack-o’-lantern in the town square, flying broomsticks, a Willy Wonka-looking mayor pulling a lollipop out of his ear — need I go on?

As everything else in the Halloweentown series goes downhill, the first film is the real highlight. Sure, one wouldn’t necessarily expect that a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie ages well, but HalloweentownShe has stood the test. Debbie Reynolds is wonderful as the kids’ estranged grandmother Aggie, as is Kimberly J. Brown plays Marnie, the precocious apprentice witch. If you’re looking for a fun holiday-themed movie with eccentric characters, colorful sets, and some spooky-but-not-too-spooky thrills, HalloweentownThis is your best bet. —Toussaint Egan

HalloweentownStreaming is available Disney Plus.

The King-King Kid

Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Fans of Joe Cornish’s Attack the BlockHe did not turn up to his much-awaited sequel, and 20th Century Fox dumped it shortly after the Disney acquisition took effect. But anyone looking for the authentic revival of ’80s adventure movies like The GooniesYou should return to this gem. A 12-year-old boy is given Excalibur by his father and leads his friends’ army against Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson). Cornish is well aware that movies should entertain everyone. The King-King Kid It fulfills your wish. —Matt Patches

The King-King KidStreaming is available Disney Plus.

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Studio Ghibli/GKIDS Image

Studio Ghibli’s fourth feature film follows the plucky protagonist, Kiki, on a rite-of-passage trip for young witches. Kiki arrives in the city and finds her home when she starts a flight service to a bakery. This film weaves in witchcraft and makes it seem like everyday urban life. It is a delightful film for all ages, with a charming cast and an engaging story. However, it has a mature heart. In Kiki’s pursuit for a place in the world, Hayao Miyazaki beautifully captures that lonely middle ground between childhood and growing into independence. —Nicole Clark

Kiki’s Delivery ServiceStreaming is available HBO Max.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Tim Burton’s last truly great film might be Sleepy Hollow In 1999 so as a blockbuster, cranked out on the steam of an older visual artist, no. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar ChildrenThis isn’t a top-tier film. It is a standout in an age of uniform superhero films. Adapted from Ransom Riggs’ popular fantasy novel of the same name, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar ChildrenX-Men meets goths. The story follows a group superhuman children who learn to control their powers under the watchful eye of Eva Green, a shapeshifting headmistress. Although the movie moves from one set to the next, Burton is very creative with macabre design and special effects. He even does some stop motion to help bring to life the universe of evil Peculiars. Samuel L. Jackson is cast as the fanged, white-haired, demon man and he lets him go. To. Town. There are little gifts aplenty in this fantastical romp, even if the whole thing doesn’t gel. (We didn’t get a sequel for a reason.) —MP

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar ChildrenStreaming is available Disney Plus.

Mirror Mirror

Relativity Media Photo

This confectionary take on Snow White was completely overshadowed by 2012’s OthersCinderella is reimagined, with the action-rich Kristen Stewart vehicle Snow White and HuntsmanThis stinks, btw Starring Lily CollinsEmily in Paris() to play the Fair Princess and Julia Roberts to portray the Evil Queen. Mirror MirrorThe storybook-whimsy of Tarsem is the focus. There is whackadoo physical comedy courtesy of the dwarves (rightfully played by a cast of little people), there are Bollywood-style musical sequences, and there are lavish costumes courtesy of the legendary Eiko Ishioka, who was nominated for an Oscar for this eye-popping-but-forgotten film. It was difficult to find a successor. The Princess Bride made after The Princess BrideBut with a lighter-footed approach Mirror Mirror is one of them — but no one ever talks about it. —MP

Mirror MirrorStreaming is available Starz You can also get a free library card Hoopla.

Practical Magic

Warner Home Video

The bewitching fantasy romance rom-com is directed by A London American Werewolf’s Griffin Dunne stars Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as two sisters trying to undo Stockard Channing’s help and Dianne Wiest could end a family curse Gillian Owens and Sally Bullock (Kidman), are members of a group of witches. Their aunts, played by Channing (and Wiest) raised them after their mother’s death. It sounds idyllic, except for the fact that their mother is dead, but Sally & Gillian have to deal with the reality of their powers and the old family curse. Any Owens man who has been loved by a Owens woman will die an early death. (If that’s not enough, a witch actually put a curse on the production.)

Practical MagicIt’s kind of like being thirty. The CraftWith its dark humor, covens and love spells, it’s a great movie. But there’s also a compelling family drama at its core: Bullock and Kidman are a real fire-and-water combination, yet are still believable as sisters. And Wiest and Channing are the fairy — er, witchy — godmothers of our dreams. —Danette Chavez

Practical MagicStreaming is available Hulu.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Image: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Disney’s original vision of the movie “Disney” is recreated. FantasiaShort story: Jay Baruchel, Nicolas Cage and the forces of evil battle awkward adolescence. Jon Turteltaub, director of National Treasure. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice follows a sorcerer named Balthazar (Cage) and his reluctant apprentice, Dave (Baruchel), who’d rather be playing with his Tesla coils and romancing his childhood crush, Becky (Teresa Palmer), than waging war against a bunch of other occult beings. But when things get grim (this is a pun you’ll appreciate more if you take our recommendation), Dave steps up and into the “old man shoes” that are part of his new magical uniform.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is as sweet as it is strange, thanks to Cage’s surprisingly restrained performance — he was the driving force for the movie, so it could easily have gone off the rails — and Baruchel’s hangdog earnestness. Alfred Molina is able to play his main antagonist in a movie that balances wonder & reason better than the initial critics suggested. —Danette Chavez

The Sorcerer’s ApprenticeStreaming is available Disney Plus.

Sky High

Buena Vista Pictures

It’s the Superhero version of The School for Good and Evil. The superhero comedy is about high school for teenager superheroes. Sky High It has a small following due to its lighthearted humor and cheesy humor about the superhero genre. This was right before it became the blockbuster phenomenon that it is today. Kurt Russell is the star! There’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead, before she was famous! And it’s one of the only live action projects to do stretchy powers well. —Pete Volk

Sky High Streaming is available Disney Plus.